Mentioning Groundhog Day brings more to mind than Punxsutawney Phil and his brethren, those funny, furry rodents (also known as woodchuck, whistle-pig, or land-beaver) who grab the media spotlight every February 2nd. Ever since 1993’s movie hit of the same name, Groundhog Day conjures up the image of living the same experience over and over again.

In movies and in literature, the repetition of events over a few hours or a few days is a plot device called a time loop. Each time the loop “resets”, most characters behave as if they aren’t aware of the loop but the main character (or characters) retains his/her memory or becomes aware of the loop. Awareness allows a character to manipulate events within the time frame, creating different futures. In some plots, the main character may travel back and forth through time in order to relive and manipulate a past event. Each time the loop repeats, with one or more aspects changing, the main character becomes more enlightened. The time frame of a loop continues to repeat until the main character(s) works out the right actions that finally break the loop.

The time loop is most often used in in science fiction but is also effective in fantasy or as a fantasy element in other genres. 12:01 PM, a short story by Richard A. Lupoff that was published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction is considered the inspiration for Groundhog Day. It appears in the anthology, The Book of Time.

Other books that effectively use a time loop include:
Loop – Karen Akins
I Am the Cheese – Robert Cormier
The Neverending Story – Michael Ende
Replay – Ken Grimwood
The Dark Tower (series) – Stephen King
Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver

The time loop works in literature because we are fascinated by the idea that every little action we do carries weight. Even the smallest, most mundane things we do are important to the universe. Who among us hasn’t fantasized about being given a chance to do something over again that might change the trajectory of his/her life (just ask Punxsutawney Phil)?